and we'll see you soon. this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk, on pbs in america or around the globe. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories: brazil's former president lula da silva's released from prison after a court decision allowing convicts to be freed pending appeal. at least two people are killed as bushfires rage in australia — the country's prime minister warns there could be worse to come. there have been hundreds of properties that have been destroyed, homes that have been destroyed and as we get access to further areas that have been cut off, we are expecting worse news again. could new york's former mayor take on trump for the white house? michael bloomberg files papers paving the way for a presidential run.

and, we hearfrom the british veteran who's collected thousands of pounds to build a new memorial for the heroes of d—day. the former brazilian president, luiz inacio lula da silva, has been released from prison after 1.5 years behind bars for corruption charges. he was greeted by a crowd of supporters outside the police station in the southern city of curitiba where he had been held. his release comes after brazil's supreme court ruled that convicted criminals should not go to jail while their appeals are heard. katy watson reports from the former president's traditional heartland of sao paulo. chanting and singing.

lula walked out of prison to an emotional crowd. "free lula," these people had been chanting, keen to witness what has been an extraordinary day for brazilian politics. translation: i cannot tell you the importance of me being here with you. after spending a lifetime talking to the brazilian people, i never thought that today i could be here talking to men and women who, for 580 days, shouted, "good morning lula," "good afternoon, lula," or "goodnight, lula." you were the source of democracy that i needed. for lula supporters, this is an indication. in their eyes, it has been a political witch—hunt from the very beginning. but he's a politician who stirs emotions. his detractors see him as a corrupt politician who should stay behind bars.

lula's freedom comes after brazil's supreme court ruled that convicted criminals should only go to prison after they have exhausted all their appeals. it overturned a previous ruling requiring convicts to start serving their sentence after losing their first appeal. lula was accused of receiving kickbacks from a construction company in connection with a beachside apartment on the coast of sao paulo. the accusations were linked to brazil's biggest ever corruption investigation, operation car wash. he started a 12—year prison sentence in april 2018, after an appeal against his conviction was upheld. chanting. lula will now remain free while he appeals to higher courts. he also has several other cases against him for corruption. and being out of prison will no doubt strengthen the left in brazil, who didn't stop campaigning for their leader. but it will also strengthen the right. presidentjair bolsonaro has been

pretty vocal in his criticism of lula, and millions agree. they see him and his workers‘ party as responsible for the political and economic problems brazil has suffered in recent years. this deep hatred towards him is what propelled far right mr bolsonaro to power in the first place. katy watson, bbc news, sao paolo. peter messitte is a senior us districtjudge. he heads up the brazil—us legal and judicial studies program at the american university. he's in chevy chase, maryland. thank you for being with us. a slightly complicated legal situation. we should be clear from the beginning that he hasn't been exonerated. that is clear. all that has been received at this point is to be liberated from prison. the key holding here is that as long as you

have not exhausted all your appeals all the way to the supreme, you are not guilty. the presumption of innocence trumps everything. so they have decided that means he should walk free. why wasn't he free before? he wasn't free before because the supreme federal tribunal said ifa because the supreme federal tribunal said if a second appeals court confirms what the trial court said, and that decision was to send you to prison, then you go to prison even if you still have an appeal. now the decision is, no, you cannot do that anymore. if you have an appeal, until they can beat you, you are a free person, presumed innocent and thatis free person, presumed innocent and that is the rationale of the ministers that voted in favour of lifting that sanction. that he didn't -- lifting that sanction. that he didn't —— what is in place right now. he is free. can he stand in elections or can he not? he is free

to talk about political issues and i can't see why he can't campaign for people, particularly in the labour party. there is another law in brazil called the law of clean record. it says that when a second incidents court says that you are guilty of something, that is enough to keep you from being on the ballot for eight years. that was a legislation that was passed by the congress and ironically, approved by lulu when he was president. he may be the victim of that law now. yes you are free, pending your appeal, you are free, pending your appeal, you are free, pending your appeal, you are not exonerated from the alleged collection —— corruption, but you cannot run for president, u but you cannot run for president, ——,, that is likely the outcome. that he could be the victim of his own law. if you are a betting man, i don't know whether you are, could you see him running, get round this in some way? there will be legal

tests but they have approved that law and it was signed by him as president. it has been before the supreme president. it has been before the supreme federal tribunal and they say as to this clean record, that is constitutional. he may end up being precluded from running from president because of it. i would say if you are to ask me to look at the law, it is a doubtful prospect that he could run but you never know. you never know. well, that is slightly technical and complicated and you talked us through it very clearly so we appreciate your time. thank you. india's supreme court is due to rule in a few hours on a controversial case relating to a religious site that's been disputed between hindus and muslims for decades. hindus believe that the piece of land in the holy town of ayodhya is the birthplace of their revered deity lord raam, while muslims say they have worshipped there for generations. our correspondent arunoday mukharji reports.

ayodhya, a city that clings to its ancient past. this is where one of hinduism's most revered deities, lord raam, is said to have been born thousands of years ago. it is also where hindus and muslims have lived together for generations, until one incident changed that forever. in 1992, a 16th century mosque was demolished by hindu fundamentalists. thousands were killed in religious clashes across the country sparked by the incident. this man is one of the many hindu religious leaders who has been at the forefront, demanding a temple. his extreme views suggest why he needs protection.

in his eyes, muslims must prove their patriotism. for a country where faith plays such an integral role, a lot hinged on the court verdict. people here are apprehensive that the riot from 27 years ago should not repeat itself. just down this lane, a few hundred metres away, is the disputed side, contested by both hindus and muslims. we are not allowed to take our cameras beyond this point.

many here feeljust as the mosque was destroyed, so was india's secular structure, leaving behind a deep divide between both communities. the majority of muslims feel the current political atmosphere is of an aggressive brand of hindu nationalism, pushing them to the margins. those arguing the muslim side in court say hindus have no legal ground. but the younger generation here wants to move on. jobs over religion, they say.

but the flames of a decades—old conflict similar beneath the surface. the judgement is likely to define the future relationship between hindus and muslims in india and the nature of its secular democracy. australia's prime minister scott morrison has warned that bushfires will spread and have catastrophic consequences in the days ahead. it's been confirmed that two people have been killed in new south wales and several are still unaccounted for across eastern australia. the bbc‘s freya cole has been following events.

certainly another day of severe weather conditions for firefighters in australia on the eastern coast. there are 1200 firefighters currently in the field battling these blazes. there are more than 100 bushfires across new south wales and queensland. some firefighters have come from new zealand to help tackle this natural disaster. as you say, we have just tackle this natural disaster. as you say, we havejust heard tackle this natural disaster. as you say, we have just heard from tackle this natural disaster. as you say, we havejust heard from prime minister scott morrison had a pretty stark warning for people on the eastern side but also for those living in western australia. these fires have already claimed two lives that have been confirmed, and as the premier said, we are expecting worse news as the day unfolds. ther have been hundreds of properties that have been destroyed, homes that have been destroyed, and as we get access to further areas that have been cut off, we are expecting worse news again. we're expecting very similar conditions in western australia over the next few days. we currently have 31 out of 37 districts in western australia that are in the high fire

rating and three of those will go to catastrophic in the days ahead. so that is a pretty stark warning from the prime minister. we are not in theirsummer from the prime minister. we are not in their summer months yet in australia so we are looking at another hot and dry season ahead. we have been seeing overnight pictures coming through but now we have some today looking at the damage still ongoing and trying to assess exactly what is going on here and what happens next. we know at least 100 properties have been destroyed. firefighters are saw an entire small village completely gutted. they will bea village completely gutted. they will be a lot of families left heartbroken from this natural disaster. some aerial pictures are here, taken from a helicopter. there

isa here, taken from a helicopter. there is a lot of smoke, the flames are ferocious and i have to say, it is pretty early to see such huge firefighters across the east. the official season usually starts in 0ctober official season usually starts in october but this year, it was brought forward to august. we are seeing earlier and more intense bushfires. and what about the people trapped in their being asked to leave ? trapped in their being asked to leave? it is difficult to be asked to leave because sometimes winds ta ke to leave because sometimes winds take embers beyond so do you stay or 90, take embers beyond so do you stay or go, it is quite difficult? that is right. we are seeing strong winds up and down the east coast. new south wales rfs actually tweeted that they couldn't reach everybody yesterday which is heartbreaking to hear. we know that at least two people are dead and there is at least seven unaccounted for. as we heard from the prime minister and firefighters, we expect the toll to rise as we get into these villages that have been

cut off by the bushfires. we will be keeping you up—to—date on developments on those wildfires in australia. stay with us on bbc world news. still to come: the us academy training those with disabilities to become aides to others. the bombastic establishment outsider, donald trump, has defied the pollsters to take the keys to the oval office. i feel great about the election result. i voted for him because i genuinely believe that he cares about the country. it is keeping the candidate's name always in the public eye that counts. success or failure depends not only on public display, but on the local campaign headquarters and the heavy routine work of their women volunteers. berliners from both east and west linked hands and danced around their liberated territory. and with nobody to stop them, it wasn't long before the first attempts were made to destroy

the structure itself. yasser arafat, who dominated the palestinian cause for so long, has died. palestinian authority has declared a state of mourning. after 17 years of discussion, the result was an outburst ofjoy. women ministers who long felt only grudgingly accepted in the ranks of clergy suddenly felt welcome. this is bbc world news. the latest headlines: brazil's former president luiz inacio lula da silva has walked free from jail after a court decision freeing prisoners that have not exhausted their appeals. the former new york city mayor and billionaire businessman michael bloomberg has given the strongest signal yet that he intends to enter the us presidential race for the democratic party. he's filed the paperwork needed for the democratic primary in alabama just before deadline expired. nada tawfik reports.

just when it seems like the crowded field of democratic presidential candidates was finally narrowing, michael bloomberg has thrown the race a giant curveball. the billionaire businessman and former mayor of new york city has long teased a possible run — both in 2016, and earlier this year. i think there's an awful lot to be said for experience and accomplishment. bloomberg is said to have grown concerned that joe biden‘s lead is fading. the former vice president was asked about that today on the trail. in terms of — he's running because of me? last polls i looked at, i'm pretty far ahead. as a centrist, bloomberg doesn't believe left—leaning candidates like bernie sanders and elizabeth warren can beat president donald trump. i have my reservations about the people running and the way they're campaigning and the promises they're making that they can't fulfil. those progressive candidates welcomed michael bloomberg to the race with tweets

attacking his wealth. the businessman has poured his money into liberal causes such as climate change and gun control. 0nce himself a republican, he has called donald trump a threat to the nation. at the white house, the president had his own words for his fellow new yorker. he will not do very well. and if he did, i would be happy. there is nobody i would rather run against than ‘little' michael, that i can tell you. normally in political races, time is money. bloomberg will self—fund his campaign. nevertheless, he's going to have to announce a final decision soon. staying in the us. health officials have declared a breakthrough in their search for the cause of vaping—related deaths and illnesses. they say that fluid taken from the lungs of 29 patients across the country revealed evidence of the chemical compound known as vitamin e acetate. it interferes with lung function if inhaled. 39 people have died of lung injuries

linked to vaping and more than 2,000 have been taken ill. spain's political parties are making last—ditch efforts to persuade undecided voters ahead of elections on sunday. the governing socialists are hoping to see off challenges from their traditional centre—right rivals the people's party and the far—right party vox. 0pinion polls show no party is likely to win an overall majority. this weekend, thousands of armed forces veterans will take part in the march—past at the cenotaph in whitehall in central london on remembrance sunday. among those marking the day will be 94—year—old harry billinge, who was among the first british soldiers to land in france on d—day. he'd been raising money to help build a new memorial in normandy to remember those who died. he's now been shown images of the memorial for the first time, as our correspondent jon donnison reports.

there you are, my love. thank you, darlin'! in the remarkable life of harry billinge, this has been a remarkable year. there's about 35 quid there, harry. it was an appearance on bbc breakfast telly on a normandy beach for the d—day 75th anniversary injune that saw harry go viral. don't say i'm a hero. i'm no hero. i was lucky. i'm here. all the heroes are dead. and i'll neverforget them as long as i live. since that moment of modesty, harry's fundraising in st austell in cornwall, towards building a memorial in france, has seen a surge. it's nearly at 30,000 now, i believe. ijust put in another 2,000 last monday. i should have been killed on the beach. i was saved, i believe, by the grace of god, for this purpose. you're raising money for something and you can't see it? this morning, harry was back on bbc breakfast to see the memorial as it's being built

for the first time. clearly, an emotional moment. 0k? yeah. idid it. ijust had a job to do. all these fellas did a good job. all these men, these wonderful men, young boys of 16. i'm not a brave man. i'm lucky. i owe my life to the boys that i loved, and i'll neverforget them. the amazing harry billinge. for those with disabilities, finding the rightjob can be a challenge, but a programme in washington, dc is working to change that. the city has partnered with a company to provide training in becoming a direct support professional, which allows them to serve as help others. we went to a class to meet some of those taking part. dear world. dear world. dear world.

i used to not be able to speak very clearly. with autism, i was taught that i would never amount to anything. ready, set, go. follow these steps to open the airway. i started learning how to read when i was, like, fifth grade. i used to not be able to communicate, i got out of high school, i wish i knew about this programme. i started working at a theatre. they mistreated me. they would say, "ok, this is yourjob. that's all you can be." kind of made me feel like i was useless when i knew that i had potential. you want to go under the person's arm and go up here.

nine, ten... direct professional. it's basically being one—on—one with a person and understanding what they are going through. you want to try a different colour? i was offered a position as a community navigator, where i would be working with four individuals. because i had a disability myself, i think that i can utilise what i have learned from my previous history. this person, right here, is robin. she is able to use her talents and kind of understand the seasons that is happening right now. i am a boundlessly optimistic human being. i want to be able to help people feel like they're worth something.

this weekend marks the 50th anniversary of sesame street — the american television show that set out to entertain and educate younger children. to mark the occasion, new york's empire state building was lit up in yellow and green. and there was one very special guest at the event, as the bbc‘s tim allman explains. cheering and applause. hi, everybody! it's me, big bird! they were never going to celebrate sesame street without celebrating big bird. hi, debbie. in so many ways the heart of the show, the towering yellow—feathered star looked right at home in the empire state building. also there was caroll spinney, the man who had voiced him and oscar the grouch for most of the last 50 years. a special moment for a special programme. sesame was founded on some fundamental values — that everyone deserves respect, opportunity, kindness, all with a little bit of furry fun. and those are fundamental, sort of, human attributes and needs for all people, but

particularly children. sesame street theme plays. sesame street premiered in november 1969, the brainchild ofjim henson, the man behind the muppets. a pre—school programme that aimed to broaden the mind. race, culture, homelessness, autism, hiv and aids — no topic was taboo, no issue was ignored. there's no doubt what is so unique about sesame is that it has a multi—generational appeal. that you have kids growing up with it, you have their parents and, at this point, 50 years later, you have grandparents. a star—studded special will be broadcast this weekend to mark the 50th anniversary. big bird promises he'll be back for the 100. tim allman, bbc news.

that's it from me. you can reach me on twitter. i'm @ lvaughanjones. iam i am lewis vaughanjones and this is bbc world news. goodbye. hello. the recent slow—moving heavy rain that we saw across much of northern england has now eased away, but we are left with the legacy of some very high river levels, quite a lot of flooding, too. so still several flood warnings and even severe flood warnings in force, particularly across parts of northern england. river levels will slowly come down through the course of the weekend. there's a bit more rain on the way for saturday but it will be heaviest in the places that are not affected by the flooding. a dry day likely by the time we get to sunday. but it's a cold weekend. first thing saturday morning, temperatures widely subzero. about —2, —3 in towns and cities, colder in the countryside. a touch of frost, certainly. also fog or freezing fog patches to start off your day as well. we can see this weather front making its way in from the west. that will bring a mix of rain.

also some sleet and some snow over the highest ground, only across parts of wales through the day on saturday, but certainly down at low levels it will be falling as rain. parts of northern ireland, south—west scotland, wales, western england, seeing the arrival of that rain. eastern england and northern and eastern scotland staying dry through the day, after the morning mist clears away. should be some sunshine around, but it will feel pretty chilly wherever you are. we're mainly going to be stuck in single figures, maybe just squeezing 10 celsius towards plymouth, but for most, about 6—9. that area of rain, with a little bit of sleetiness and snow over the high ground, starts to ease away towards the south as we move through saturday night and overnight into sunday morning. with all the cloud around in the south it won't be such a cold night. certainly not compared to first thing on saturday. temperatures mostly above freezing. still a cold night to come for northern england, northern ireland and scotland as well. sunday, remembrance sunday, we're looking at some decent conditions. lots of dry and fairly sunny weather.

there will be some rain working in from the west later on in the day, but much of remembrance sunday is looking fine and dry, with light winds, temperatures somewhere between 6—10, for most of us on sunday. then we start to see this frontal system heading in from west to east, through sunday night and into monday. you can see a bit of light. some sleet and snow over the highest ground, parts of northern england and scotland as well. that main band of rain should clear away gradually on monday, perhaps lingering longest towards the south—east. then we're back into sunny spells, scattered showers, some of them a little bit wintry over the highest ground. in the sunshine, though, top temperatures around 6—11. bye— bye.

this is bbc news.

the headlines: brazil's former president luis inacio lula da silva has walked free from prison where he'd been held for a year and a half on corruption charges. he was met byjubilant supporters as he was released, which came after the supreme court decided convicts should only go to prison if they have exhausted their appeal options. at least two people have lost their lives as an unprecedented number of bushfires burn across eastern australia. firefighters in the state of new south wales have been struggling to reach some parts, and the prime minister scott morrison has warned that the stiuation is likely to get worse. the former new york city mayor michael bloomberg has given the strongest signal yet that he intends to enter the us presidential race.